Mobile City Councilwoman Bess Rich endorses Quin Hillyer for Congress

Congressional candidate Quin Hillyer picked up the first endorsement of a local elected official Aug. 28 with the support of three-term Mobile City Councilwoman Bess Rich.

“I’ve known Quin for 15 years, he was here for my first term in 1993 and I’ve always been impressed with his writing, and I feel like we would be fortunate to have his talent as a representative,” she said. “He has all the skill sets to know the problems and he understands leadership. He’s a solid Reagan conservative who understands and will represent people diverse in their race or religion or ideology. He will not bend our constitutional rights and will not let anyone else pull his strings.”

Rich encourages people to consider Hillyer based on two core promises: he will impose a term limit upon his service and will not become a lobbyist when it’s over.

“I’m a tremendous advocate for that,” she said. “I think people are very tired of career politicians who constantly want to go up the ladder. He believes [being a congressman] is service.”

Hillyer, who has made a career as a conservative columnist and media figure, said he shares many of the same convictions as Rich and as a former editorial writer at the Press-Register, may have “never taken her to task.”

“I’m sick of politicians who can’t talk straight and Bess always comes out straight with her convictions and those are often convictions I share,” he said.

Rich served two terms on the city council from 1993 until 2001 before returning in 2010. She was a candidate for mayor in 2005.

“Often times when I take a position on something it’s not done in a vacuum,” Rich said. “It’s because I talk to others I represent and I know how they feel and what they want.”